red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter lxiii: brahman

"kazzie knew that mikey will push her away again at some point because of his dark impulses." senju dropped the paper on the table after reading it herself. "she knew that i will create a gang back then to defeat him. she didn't even have to tell me. she just watched when i made brahman."

"...brahman?"

"an organization that senju made ten years ago to stop mikey. the members were mostly the older generation black dragons."

"wakasa, benkei, and takeomi were founders. they're really close with shinichiro-san." senju hummed. "now that i thought about it, it's beginning to make sense. my brother, benkei, and wakasa must have promised to shinichiro-san at some point that they will take care of his younger brother. maybe that's why takeomi convinced me to make brahman...to add on to the numbers of mikey's gang and serve under him with close supervision. maybe that's why kazzie didn't have to bring it up herself because she knew that someone else will do it for her."

takemitchy was a little lost with all the sudden information that was being spilled. "so—uhm—you made brahman to stop mikey-kun? does that mean he got himself into a new gang after toman disbanded?"

"yes, it was named kantou manji gang. along with rokuhara tendai and brahman, we were called the three deities of japan." senju leaned back against the backrest of the sofa. "kazzie's a hidden member, but she was the strongest. she's stronger than me, so she was the one who fought against the two leaders that day. what you may know as bonten now is the product of the three deities merging together after kantou manji gang won the battle of the three deities."

her lips pursed together. without a word, she easily pushed the table aside and knelt down the ground. she bowed until her head and hands were on the carpeted floor. specifically, she bowed in front of hanagaki takemichi.

"i know that you're getting married in a few weeks with the girl you love." she muttered. "but i beg you, leap back in time one last time. like kazzie said, this will be the last you do. if we still fail by then, you can do whatever the hell you want. just please...have faith in kazzie."

sada kazua still has an ace up her sleeve that they're yet to know. if he doesn't go back in time now, they will never know the things that she has been hiding all along.

the things that will guarantee their future will be forgotten along with the past.

it will die with her.

suddenly, draken knelt beside her and bowed the same way she did. "you've done a lot for us, takemitchy." he said. "and we are really grateful for you. please, do this one last thing for us. i was wrong to doubt kaz. i believe that whatever it is that she's been planning in the dark is the real key to the best future."

kazua has done a lot for him, more than he could ever imagine. if he can't do this one thing for her, if he can't persuade takemitchy into time leaping for her brewing solution, then he can't even dare to call himself her friend anymore. it is about time for him to return the favors that stacked all over the years protecting him and emma.

protecting the founding six.

"h-hey, get up, you two! there's really no need for this!"

"kaz only means well for your future too. i'm sure that whatever her plans are, it involves yours and hina-chan's safety, as well."

"i know." takemitchy smiled, gently placing his hands on their shoulders. he knelt in front of them and softly smiled. "there's no need to beg. i've been planning to go back in time since i found out about mikey-kun. what i need is a trigger."

"a trigger?"

"when i first time leaped, hina's brother became the trigger for me. the last time leap i did, mikey-kun was the trigger. now that we have no way of triggering with physical touch, i need a new trigger. my goal must be aligned with the next person."

"well..." senju and draken blinked at each other. "...maybe senju can do it. she's the one who's been eagerly waiting for you for the past nine years."

"then, it's settled." takemitchy held his hand out to the girl. "senju, when we shake hands, i might time leap instantly. my body will be an empty shell here, and i entrust you two to keep my body safe."

senju hesitantly reached her hand out, but stopped when she was mere centimeters away from touching his hand. "hanagaki,"

"yes?"

"kazzie told me...to tell you what she did wrong if we arrive at a situation like this." she muttered. "tell her...to not lose herself."

"i will."

"thank you."

with their hands clasping together in a firm handshake, takemitchy's body soon fell limp and fell forwards. draken caught him just in time, carefully laying him down the sofa.

senju stands from the floor and looked down at takemitchy's lifeless state.

"they'll succeed." draken told her. "you believe in kaz more than anyone. don't lose it now when she needs it most."

"i know." senju smiled back at him. "it's just...do you think this plan of hers involved them?"

draken sighs. "you know, i can't even tell if i really know kaz anymore. she's keeping a lot of things from us."

senju knew how he felt. of course, she's been feeling that way since the day kazua decided to help takemitchy and risk her life for mikey's own future.

there even were things she kept from their childhood that she's only beginning to know about now.

"i felt that way, too, at some point." she turned to the taller male and grinned. "but, you know what? kazzie's still kazzie. these things she's hiding...i'm sure she believed that she'll be protecting us if she didn't reveal them."